Center for a New American Security

• The New York Times reports that severe winter weather could stymie a protest movement in Russia.
• A Malaysia, rare earths metal refinery is close to obtaining permission to operate, which could upend China’s dominance of the market, according to The New York Times.
• Ukraine says that increased domestic consumption of natural gas in Russia is responsible for decline in shipments, The Washington Post reports.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that two of the world’s most powerful raw-materials companies are discussing a merger that could form an $80 billion mining giant.
• United Press International reports that yellow cedars – indigenous to Alaska and British Columbia – have been dying off due to climate change.  

Chinese residents at the center of a protest over land rights casted votes on Wednesday to determine their local leadership, The New York Times reports. 

According to The Washington Post, Brazilian oilmen are exploring for fossil fuels in the Amazon, a region dominated by foreign oil companies. 

Iraqi Kurds are making moves to strengthen their control over oil-rich lands, The Wall Street Journal reports.   

Philippine officials claim that climate change is responsible for nearly 49 tons of dead fish floating in a local lake, United Press International reports. 

A record cold snap has caused some disruptions in South Korea, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The IAEA has backed new stress tests for Japanese nuclear reactors, according to The New York Times.

The Washington Post reports that the Chinese village that experienced mass protests over land rights issues prepares for local elections.

A cadmium spill threatens the water supply in China’s Pearl River Delta, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Department of Defense announced $18 million in awards for programs to improve operational energy.

United Press International reports that New York City will measure energy in some buildings for use by urban planners and policymakers.  

The World Trade Organization has ruled against China’s effort to limit exports of industrial materials, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Severe drought is exacerbating a food crisis in Mexico, The New York Times reports.

China lodged a protest over Japan’s plan to name uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, according to xinhuanet.com

The Washington Post reports on an effort in California to reduce the carbon footprint of fuel sold in the state.

United Press International reports that the United Nations has started an online database to share successful climate change adaptation strategies.  

The Washington Post reports that the Philippines may allow a greater U.S. military presence in response to China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The UK tops the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change, according to The Washington Post.

China has criticized the EU over its decision to ban imports on Iranian oil, The Wall Street Journal reports.

A new study reports that geoengineering is not a cure to the world’s climate woes, according to United Press International.

The Boston Globe reports that communities around Japan’s nuclear facilities remain divided on the future of nuclear energy.

• The New York Times reports on the collapse of fish stocks and growing competition for scarce resources among fishermen.
• According to The Washington Post, the Japanese government did not release the findings from a worst-case scenario report after last year’s Fukushima crisis for fear of widespread panic.
• A new report says that New Delhi is vulnerable to a major earthquake, The Washington Post reports.  
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration will not demand Jordan and Vietnam to forgo their rights to produce nuclear fuel domestically.
• The National Journal reports that President Obama continues to push forward on clean energy without Congress. 

• The New York Times reports that Japan’s food supply is threatened by radioactive contamination.
• Chevron is still trying to contain a weeklong oil rig fire off Nigeria’s coast, according to The Washington Post.
• The EU issues a ban on Iranian oil imports, The Wall Street Journal reports.
• Also from The Wall Street Journal, Japan reviews its disaster relief plans in the wake of concerns that Tokyo could face a magnitude-7 earthquake within the next four years.
• President Obama should defend environmental regulations in tonight’s State of the Union Address, according to The Guardian.

An interesting story in The New York Times describes the tensions between states and the federal government over nuclear regulatory authority.

The New York Times Green blog revisits the issue of agriculture and climate change.

According to Reuters, Turkey is working to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil.   

Beijing makes a rare concession on pollution, The Washington Post reports.

Also from The Washington Post, French President Sarkozy urges much tougher sanctions against Iran, including an oil embargo. 

• President Obama rejected the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline on Wednesday, The New York Times reports.
• Antinuclear protest disrupt a panel in Japan as the government approves plans to extend nuclear plant operations up to 20 years, The Wall Street Journal reports.
• According to The Washington Post, the United States and the Philippines are planning combat drills at an oil rig in the South China Sea.
• United Press International reports that the La Nina weather event is increasing the odds of U.S. drought.
• Also from UPI, cleanup efforts at a closed Washington state nuclear site have run into technical problems.  

• The New York Times explores a new proposal to address climate change by focusing on efforts that would provide immediate benefits over long-term sacrifice.
• Iran issued a warning to Saudi Arabia following an offer from the Kingdom that it would increase oil output in order to make up for global oil shortfall caused by U.S.-sponsored sanctions against the Iranian regime, The Wall Street Journal reports.  
• Also from The Wall Street Journal, China is – for the first time in its history – a predominately urban society.
• According to The Washington Post, Japan will allow nuclear plants to operate up to 20 years beyond an originally planned 40-year limit.
• The Pentagon is still struggling to define and achieve “energy security,” according to a report from Greenwire.